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Monday, 29 November 2010

Today's CAS95 challenge on Splitcoast Stampers is to use flower accents on a card. I decided to make a pastel Christmas card using silk poinsettias. The card measures approx. 15 cms square. The pink tree is a Craftwork Cards die cut shape which I embossed with the Victorian Fleur folder. I went over the embossing with my Quickie Glue Pen and added Crystal ultrafine glitter. I tore white CS for my snow at the bottom but I used the negative shape from the Sizzix Swirly Decorative Strip die for my snow flurry at the top of the card. I've also added glitter to these two elements. I threaded the button with silver lurex ribbon before attaching it to the flower centre. The flower was attached to the card with a large glue dot.

This photo shows the inside of the card and the envelope flap. I used another piece of the negative die cut shape for the bottom. I added glitter to this piece and to the snowflakes on the sentiment.

I love snowy Christmas cards but I have to say I don't want actual snow! I'm not enjoying this bitterly cold weather we're having, I'm such a chilly mortal!

Saturday, 27 November 2010

This is a Birthday RAK card that will be winging its way to Australia later today. I used SU! Rose Red CS - one of my fave colours - to make the side opening A6 size card. I stamped the Bella Toile stamp on Whisper White CS in Old Olive ink. I punched the bird wing out of Rose Red patterned paper. I used the Crop-A-Dile to punch circles for the bird eye and flower centres. Two more punches were used on the card, the Eyelet Border punch and, of course, my current fave Photo Corners punch.

After finishing the card front, I decorated the inside and the envelope flap.

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

This is a birthday card I made for a friend and to enter into the WMSC24 challenge. Here's the sketch:

I made a square card rather than rectangular, this sketch is versatile and easily works for both. The card measures just a tad under 15 cms square and I used Perfect Plum CS for the base. The patterned paper is from the Basic Grey Kioshi line. After cutting my Labels Four shapes I applied Antique Linen distress ink to the white shape before stamping the branch. The smaller flowers are stamped direct to the white panel but I stamped the larger flowers separately, cut them out and I've popped them up. I've also popped up the white panel.

My SU! Photo Corners punch was used again, I love having this thing! I punched small Mellow Moss corners and layered them onto large Pale Plum corners. To finish off the front I added pearls to the flower centres and to the corners.

Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Yesterday's CAS94 challenge on Splitcoast Stampers was to use sponging on your card. That gave me a great reason to make another sparkly Santa with trees card. I sponged Bashful Blue ink for the sky after using a punched circle mask for the moon. I then edged the panel with Marina Mist ink. I sprinkled ultrafine crystal glitter on the trees to finish.

Today's colour combo CC298 challenge was Chocolate, Cherry, Crumb Cake - well, I'm afraid I couldn't resist that! I'm on a diet and all I could think of while making this card was the Black Forest muffin our local Waitrose used to sell. It was a double chocolate chip muffin with a gooey dark cherry filling - heavenly! It's just as well for my diet that they don't sell them any more.

I decided to make a winter birthday card and I'll use this as a Birthday RAK card. This owl stamp is from a clear set and the SU! classic inks don't work well with it. So I ended up throwing some rhubarb in with the chocolate, cherry and crumb cake - Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink. I stamped the frame, cut out the Labels Four Nestie shape and then stamped the sentiment and owl. I embossed the Cherry Cobbler panel with the gorgeous Cuttlebug snow flurry folder. Before gluing down the owl panel I attached a strip of Chocolate Chip satin ribbon.

The colour combo challenge also had a "dessert option" which was to add a glaze. I applied VersaMark ink to some Chocolate Chip CS and embossed it with clear embossing powder - I gave it a couple of coats - then I punched out a snowflake. Oof, it was hard to punch out, I was a tad worried I might break my punch but it worked out fine. It's hard to see in the photo but the snowflake is so glossy. I've put a rhinestone brad in the centre. To finish off the card front, I sprinkled clear gems on some of the snowflakes.

Monday, 22 November 2010

Here are two cards I've made using my new SU! Growing Green stamp set, I am loving this set! The first card is a Crumb Cake A6 size and I used it to send a note to a friend. I was inspired by the cards on page 56 of the UK SU! catalogue. I loved the soft earthy tones. One of the cards had ink spatters so I replicated that by using a speckled background stamp from the Itty Bitty Backgrounds set. Just simple stamping and I paper pieced the flower by stamping on a piece of Bella Bleu paper. I added some green dotty ribbon and a button threaded with linen thread.

The second card is a side opening A6 size made with Confetti White CS and I will use this as a Birthday RAK card. I've done some distress sponging on this one. I've cut a window out of the card front with a Labels Four Nestie die. The sentiment panel is glued to a larger Crumb Cake Labels Four shape and is glued inside the card. I've used different Bella Bleu papers for the sentiment panel and the flowers. I've added some branches punched from the SU! Bird punch. I then decorated a co-ordinating envelope by stamping the gorgeous fern stamp on the envelope front and then adding a strip of Bella Bleu paper.

Friday, 19 November 2010

Joanne held her Stamper's Ten November Make and Take evening on Tuesday. It was such a fun night! We made a card and a gift card/money holder. Actually, I waited to make my card because I wanted to use coloured CS for my card base - plus I also wanted to add a couple of elements!

I've borrowed the card my friend Jan made so I can show the card Joanne designed. The background was made by stamping the top of the fir tree from the Lovely As A Tree set around the four sides of the card.

Here's my version using a Marina Mist card base, a Bashful Blue mat layer with added moon and Santa with reindeer. I sponged Bashful Blue ink for the sky and then edged the panel with Marina Mist ink. I don't have the Warm Wishes stamp and I had to stamp my trees lower down to make room for my Santa so I chose to use a skinny sentiment. Joanne had used Early Espresso ink but I don't have that - yet - so I stamped with Chocolate Chip ink.

This is the inside of my card.

This is my version of the gift card holder. Sad to say I lost concentration and so made a boo boo! I stamped the Merry Christmas sentiment on the inside whereas it should have been stamped on the front. So I stamped another bauble (the Cherry Cobbler one), punched it out and I've popped it up. There's no mistakes right? - just an embellishment opportunity!

This is the front. The bow is attached to the elastic cord and you slide it off to open the holder. We used the Ornament punch to cut a bauble aperture in the front of the holder. The snowflake element on the Olive bauble was stamped again and punched out with the largest flower on the Boho Blossoms punch. Then we daubed it with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint which we also added to the punched Scallop Trim border. The snowflake was popped up and a clear rhinestone added to the centre.

This is the inside.

This is the gift card holder fully open. We used the Word Window and 1/2" circle punches to make the slot for the gift card/money to slide into.

Wednesday, 17 November 2010

A Christmas card in traditional red, green and gold. I love Christmas cards in non traditional colours but there's something timeless about red, green and gold that appeals too. I even did some old school gold embossing.

The card is a side opening A6 size. The patterned paper I've used is absolutely gorgeous, the holly is flocked. I couldn't resist using the Photo Corners punch to cut out a fuzzy corner! I stamped the pot separately, cut it out and glued it over the top. I used a Marvy marker to colour in the star at the top of the tree.

Tuesday, 16 November 2010

This is the challenge card I made with the supplies Joanne gave us Stamper's Ten group members this month. I needed a masculine thank you card to send to Kevin and Peter and the colours seemed to work well for a masculine card so that's what I went with. Joanne gave us CS in various colours, the stamped thank you element, the ribbon and a piece of Greenhouse Gala paper.

I used my new Baroque die and I found the size of the shape better suits the front of US size cards than UK A6 size cards. So I made my side opening card to measure 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". Yes, the Photo Corners punch got used again!

Monday, 15 November 2010

Yesterday it was our friend Kath's birthday and this is the card I made for her. I won a prize draw and I chose the SU! Growing Green set as my prize so I couldn't wait to ink my new goodies up! I fell in love with that fern image as soon as I saw it in the catalogue, it's gorgeous.

I stamped the fern and flower in VersaFine Sepia ink on watercolour paper. To colour I patted my SU! inkpads onto a ceramic tile and then used a waterbrush to pick up the colour. I used Nestabilty dies for my layers and added a strip of Olive grosgrain ribbon. Then I used my favourite new tool - the SU! Photo Corners punch. I've been waiting 3 years for this punch and I'm so happy I have it now! I love how it has 2 sizes, I've used the larger size corners here. To finish off the card front, I popped up the flower and added 3 olive crystals to the image panel.

Saturday, 13 November 2010

This is a birthday RAK card I'll be sending out this month. I used one of my fave colour combos - Olive, Eggplant and Vanilla. I stamped the flowers from the One of a Kind set so that I could punch them out with the Boho Blossoms punch. I've added pale purple gems to the flower centres.

I'm really enjoying working on the inside of my cards more these days. Here's what I did inside and on the envelope flap. I stamped the swirl off once before stamping on the Vanilla panel.

Thursday, 11 November 2010

I saw a shaped window card on display at the Glitter Pot that Paula Pascual had made using the lovely My Mind's Eye 'I Believe' papers, some of Paula's stamps and the gorgeous Tim Holtz Baroque die. What a beautiful shape that die is - I was lost as soon as I saw it, into my basket it went! This is my version of Paula's card. Very similar except Paula had a lovely curved sentiment banner on her card - I did try, oh my word, I tried but curved banners are NOT in my future it seems! I gave up and went for a flat banner, it will mean the card is easier to post anyway!

I cut the bottom of the shape off so that the card will stand up. I used Nestie dies to cut out the window and circles. The Sage circle is popped up. I added a button to the banner and a clear crystal to the flower centre to finish off the card.

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

As ﻿you can see I've been very literal and kept things very simple! I thought of the bauble from Sewing Box Christmas as soon as I saw the sketch. I dug out some well loved old Basic Grey Fruitcake and Figgy Pudding papers for my paper piecing. I sponged the edges of the card with Antique Linen distress ink. The sentiment stamp is on one line but I used a dewdrop pad and was easily able to ink the words separately to get the words on two lines inside my middle bauble. I found the green cord after rootling in my stash and thought it would be perfect as a line for my baubles.

After finishing the card front I set to work on the inside and the envelope flap.

Monday, 8 November 2010

Today's CAS challenge on Splitcoast Stampers is a colour challenge - kraft, pink and olive with Marina Mist as optional. I'm waiting to get my Marina Mist CS and ink so I stayed with kraft, pink and olive.

I paper pieced the bauble, punched two holes in the card front and then tied the bauble onto the card with a ribbon bow. So my bauble swings from the card. I added the sentiment strip to finish off the card front.

Then I couldn't resist decorating the inside of the card too. It seemed very appropriate to use my bauble sentiment!

Saturday, 6 November 2010

I just love this gingerbread man stamp, he's so sweet! This A6 size card is made with Creamy Caramel CS and I've used Ruby Red and Chocolate Chip as accent colours plus a strip of olive ribbon and some Olive snowflake patterned paper. I stamped the sentiment circle with the pine bough stamp in Caramel ink after stamping off once first.

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Today was our card group day and another fun day was had by all! They are such a great group! These are the final card group Christmas cards for this year.

The first card is a side opening A6 size. I cut out an oval using a die to make a mask for the sponging. Certainly Celery ink was sponged in the oval. The line of trees was stamped in Old Olive but stamped off once first. The fir tree was stamped full strength in Olive. The beautiful script Merry Christmas was stamped in Chocolate Chip. I used a 1" circle punch but only punched out half a circle for the doodad on the side. I've added a gold self adhesive nailhead.

The second card uses the lovely SU! Serene Snowflakes set and a fresh turquoise, red and white colour scheme. This is a 4" square card. Simple stamping, layering and sponged edges here and a ribbon loop added for a bit of interest. The snowflake has a red brad in the centre.

The last card uses this gorgeous glittery holly paper. I really wanted to let the paper take centre stage so I didn't cover it up too much. This is another side opening A6 size card. I stamped the cream tag with the Fine Flourish background stamp in Garden Green ink after stamping off twice first and then I stamped the Noel in Bravo Burgundy. I edged the tag with Burgundy ink. I've then mounted the cream tag to a larger Garden Green tag. I used linen thread to tie the tag around the Olive ribbon and added a button. To finish off the card front I've added two Olive photo corners.

As the Burgundy CS is very dark to write a message on I've added a stamped Vanilla oval inside the card. I edged the outside of the oval with Burgundy ink. The sentiment was stamped in Garden Green and then I coloured the holly leaves and berries with Olive and Burgundy marker pens.

About Me

Hello, I'm Ruth Muzeen and I live with my hubby Owen and our cat Tingha in Burgess Hill, West Sussex.
Thanks for visiting to look at my creations, please click on a card photo in any blog post to get a larger view. I have categorised albums of my cards available to view on Google Photos. Just click on the category name to go to the relevant album. Please do leave any comments you have, it will be so nice to hear from you! For more info, please see the About Me - Extended tab up at the top.